Advantages

"There are none "

Disadvantages

"Tacky looking "

"Feel and look horrible"

Just NO

I have just come to the conclusion that after the age of thirty you should be careful about how you do your nails. I say this because I have recently been trying something a little more radical than I normally would, in the guise of Nail Constellations by MUA which is Superdrug''s own brand of make up. I paid three pounds for this little bottle of pink and blue coloured pearls which I had read abut in my Cosmo magazine. The idea is simple and very straightforward and applying the beads was fine but the look I achieved was tacky and nasty and looked completely wrong for me. I first painted my nails with clear nail gloss and applied the tiny beads by gently rolling my nails in them after I had spread them out over some kitchen paper. Teh beans stuck to the polish really well and so I painted over them with atop coat to make sure they stayed in place. They looked wrong because some of the beads had stuck down better than others and they looked patchy and like something my eight year old daughter would have done to her own nails. They were also very difficult to remove and they don''t dissolve in the nail varnish remover but stay shaped as tiny pearls which fell all over my living room carpet when i tried to remove them. I only wanted to do my nails slightly differently as I was going out for the evening with some friends for work but these were a huge mistake and as soon as i removed them then i just applied some of my normal pale pink polish and my nails looked far more sophisticated. These Nail constellations are perhaps fine if you are under twenty but not for me sadly.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A nice idea not so good in reality

I love doing things to my nails, even more so when it's something a little bit different and makes my nails stand out. The fact that with very little help my nails are really well shaped and look nice, helps when I fancy doing something that will make them look that little bit more interesting and get a bit of attention. I'm normally someone that goes for glittery nails, but when I saw these I wanted one straight away but I waited until I'd got a full order for the MUA site before ordering because they had a good offer on s I wasn't going to pass that up!

~*~ MUA ~*~

Make up academy as it's also known as, is another range of bargain cosmetics that are turning up on our high street. Found in Superdrug and online (they might be elsewhere but I haven't seen them) - they are a range that start at just £1 for an item, which considering the cost of more upmarket cosmetics is a bargain, and well we can't all afford to spend £25 on a mascara - no matter how good it is. So MUA for me along with ELF, has come a long way in my opinion over the past few months, and has some celebrity endorsement in the shape of Alexandra Burke, if that's celebrity endorsement!

~*~ MUA Constellation ~*~

This special additive to my nails is a bottle of little balls that stick to your nails when you have painted them, they come in five different colour selections, named after 5 different star signs so they do vary in brightness and colours in the bottle. I have the bottle in Leo, at the minute on the website it's only Leo and Scorpio that are available - I am a Leo but that's not why I bought this colour combination it's just at the time there was only this colour left, I like it don't get me wrong but much preferred the Scorpio because it was very multi coloured and even though it was a bit of a dull colour - I preferred it. So instead I've got Leo which comes in teal green and purple small balls, the bottle it comes in is an absolute night mare, the funnel at the top of the tube is flexible but it's a nightmare to get them out of the bottle and into the funnel to be able to apply them to your nails. I asked a friend for advice and she said to give it a good shake, so I tried this a few times. Got a good hold of the bottle and shook it hard, however either I had a weak bottle or just had too tight a grip on it but the end crumpled in my hand and I ended up with little balls all over the floor. Which really annoyed me actually because they're tiny, and really hard to pick up; I managed to get a good three quarters of the balls back in the packaging, but the rest ended up in my rug and had to be swept up later. Which left me with a big problem, the fact that I had an open end, the end that is meant to be stood on - so I've got it upside down, but it keeps falling over - so now I've only got half a bottle of balls left to play with on my nails.

To put it on your nails they suggest using a thick nail varnish and putting them on in the desired pattern and pressing down on your nails to make them stick. The problem I found even with a thick nail varnish is that even when it was dry they kept moving around on my nails, which meant they ended up coming off the edge of my nail. Especially now all I can really do with them is either sprinkle them onto my nails because the bottle is broken or dip my nail in the hole; it means all the balls end up on the end of my nails. I pressed them into the wet nails, they moved around all over the place ended up in random directions, I wasn't impressed really. I thought well I'll put some clear nail varnish on top to help stick them down a bit more - that didn't work instead it just took the colour off the top of the balls, which then just make them look like a faded colour of what I'd originally started out with. I was pretty disappointed with the balls, given how amazing they look and how the models make them look, the reality was a bit rubbish to be honest. The fact that it didn't take much either for them to start falling off really made me wonder if they were worth the money, all I had to do was put my hands in my pockets or my bag to retrieve my phone or purse and well I lost a couple. It drove me nuts, the fact that they started to fall off in clumps as well just really annoyed me - felt like I'd spent ages putting them on for them to just fall off, change colour and litter my floor with little purple and green balls. When I wanted to take them off, they were pretty much all gone anyway, so just put a bit of nail varnish remover on them rubbed a little and they fell off. These nail constellations are shocking, the packaging is shocking - the best thing about them is that they look nice in the bottle. I definitely won't be buying any more, they're just not worth even the £3 they're priced up at. They came off my nails within a day, and they're just not appropriate if you use your hands regularly. I really wouldn't waste my money on them again.

~*~ Price and Availability ~*~

MUA online and in Superdrug for £3 a shot, in 5 different colour combinations, if you really want to waste your money on them!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A cool effect but you need to be patient to get the best look

I do love to have my nails painted quite often because I think it just makes my hands look nicer and as though I have made a bit of an effort. I work with people in my job and have to take and hand over money and so I think my hands looking nice is quite important really. There are so many different nail effect varnishes around at the moment and I think it is great to try new things and so I popped one of the MUA constellation nail products on my Christmas list and luckily for me my sister bought me one of them to try!

The nail constellation range by MUA gets its name because the product is designed to look like the patterns formed in the sky at night. They each have a name after a zodiac sign and the one that my sister bought for me is called Gemini but I am hoping to be able to get my hands on some of the other ones too as they are really lovely to look at.

The nail constellation range is basically a small pot full of tiny coloured beads which compliment each other and which create the nail "caviar" look which is quite popular at the moment. The Gemini pot that I have is a mixture of pinks and purples with the odd teal coloured bead thrown in there and I do think it looks nice and funky.

The pot that the beads come in is made from a tough plastic but the top part of the pot is a flexible funnel which you are meant to be able to use for application on your nails. I find the funnel isn't the easiest way for me to apply the beads to my nails as they don't seem to come out as I would want them to despite squeezing the funnel in various places so I have developed my own way of application which works more than fine for me. There are tutorial videos online on the MUA website should you want to have a look at how they use the funnel but for me I find they just stick in the funnel and don't come out consistently.

First of all when using this product you should coat your nails with your favourite polish. I tend to go for a nude shade as opposed to anything dramatic when using the Gemini one as I find should any beads fall off that the nude shade doesn't stand out too much but compliments the beads instead. Obviously depending on which of the constellation products you buy you may need to adjust the base coat accordingly.

I find it is best to apply a single coat of polish to all of my nails initially but then when I am ready to apply the beads add another coat to my nail and take it nail by nail because you do want to make sure that your nails are quite wet when you apply the beads. The best way that I have found to use these beads is to have a little dish under my hand to collect any surplus beads and then I use the funnel which I have removed from the jar to just pour the beads over my wet nail and I will sometimes do this and then quickly pour them over again to make sure the nail is fully covered with the beads. The nail being wet is paramount to the beads sticking to the nail properly and so I would definitely advise you to take it one nail at a time with regards to painting on a second coat and then pouring on the beads.

When you have finished putting the beads on your nails you need to pour the beads that weren't used back in to the pot. I use a little pot with a hole in so can tip them back in to the funnel and then in to the pot again with ease but making a paper funnel would be just as easy and I think it is important to save as many beads as you can. It is surprising how few beads you seem to use each time you use this product on your nails but obviously the more you save the longer it will last. I like to do all of my nails with the constellation effect but I have seen pictures of people with it on just a couple of nails if that is something that would interest you.

It is quite time consuming to use this product on your nails but I don't think it takes as long as you would perhaps expect. I would say you are looking at around twenty minutes to half an hour from starting the base coat to applying a clear top coat which I don't think is bad at all for an effect which looks so good. The beads on your nails obviously give your nails a 3D look which is really striking to look at and when I have my nails like this I can't help but keep looking at them and people have complimented me on the look as well.

This product once on your nails will take some maintaining. You cannot apply the beads and then rush around doing things because you will make the beads fall off and so you need to apply them when you have time to sit and let the base coats dry properly holding the beads down and then you need to apply a top coat in my opinion to strengthen the beads further. Despite all of these you will probably find that you get the odd chipped section in your nails when some beads get knocked or whatever and I find you can do the odd touch up here and there but for the most part losing a few beads doesn't really show up too much from a distance if you have used a cleverly matched base coat.

When on your nails you will find that your nails feel quite hard and removing them may be tricky. I find the best way to remove this product is to literally peel them off as they become past their best and then run over the nail with nail varnish remover to get rid of any remains and of course rid of the base coat too.

I absolutely love the effect that this product gives my nails. If done right I think it provides salon quality effects and it really isn't that tricky to apply yourself. These products would be great for application before a night on the town or something as they look really good and funky too. You can buy them from superdrug stores or the mua website where they are selling for just £2.00 currently and so I am planning on ordering some more in the other colours!

Thank you for reading my review!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Sorry, not recommended but fun to try

This is a review of MUA's nail constellations, really tiny nail beads, which I was curious to try after reading reviews on here. I've never used any MUA products before so picked up a bottle on my latest trip in to town (a massive venture with a new born and 2 year old!).

Schoolgirl errorMy first mistake was to pick up a bottle with no label. I should have known when the lady on the till disappeared to get a label for the barcode. I went home without instructions so had to do a bit of research before using to check I was doing it right!

PurchaseThe colour I bought was Gemini - contains pinks, purples and turquoises - I think! The packaging is a clear bottle with silver writing on in it and I am struggling to read anything on it so can only assume the missing label is key here. The top of the bottle is capped off and before any contents will come out you need to remove the inner seal which is like a contact lens.

PriceI paid £2.50 for my bottle of nail constellations which were on a stand as a promotional display in Superdrug. I believe the normal price is around £3 although I have seen them selling online for more than this.

In useI painted each nail with clear nail varnish and tipped the beads on whilst it was tacky. I did one nail at a time and did this over a sheet so I could tip the unused beads back in the jar. If you don't do this you will get through the bottle pretty quickly. I found some areas of the nail did not want to stick so had a few bare patches that I had to go back and touch up. I also noticed that the beads stuck to my skin at the sides of the nail where I had been sloppy with the clear nail varnish. You can pick this bit off when it is dry quite easily but you just don't get a neat edge with them. Whilst the varnish dried it felt like the beads were sliding around on the nail a bit so I tried adding a top coat to set them more in place.

My thoughtsI hated how these felt on the nail, all bumpyand rough and it fiddled me so much I was picking at them permanently. The beads are so tiny I am sure half the bottle will be going up the vacuum cleaner when I next do my bedroom. I think the overall look is a bit strange and not exactly attractive. It is really different though and my look better if you get someone to apply the beads for you. I did like the colours of the beads though and I think the appeal to me was more as a crafter seeing a jar of tiny cute beads rather than as a viable beauty product.

Final wordSorry to be so negative about this unusual nail product when all the previous reviews have been so glowing. They just didn't work for me, as a nail colour. I even tried them as accent features with ring finger and another time as nail tips but it just looked awful and like I had dipped my hand in a jar of beads with badly applied glue! I couldn't keep this on for more than a few hours due to the niggling urge to pick the beads off my nails. Not recommended but fun to try.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Amazing colours, brilliant idea

Yes I love nail products and although I am not top of the trend and don't have all the most up to date nail items, I have just stumbled across this product. More luck than judgement really though. While wandering the many pages of Facebook looking for wedding ideas, I saw a picture of someones nails and she had been using these. After enquiring about the product she used, I scoured the internet for these and now finally have bought some.

I bought these from the MUA website and they cost me £3 which is a very good price. The collection consists of five different shade variations and are basically tiny beads of different colours. The range is:Scorpio - Multicoloured, deep purple, orange, green, goldPisces - Pearlescent pastel colours, white, light blue and pinkLeo - Deep purple and light blueGemini - Like Pisces but with purple addedLibra - Charcoal and blue

I bought Leo, which is not only my star sign but also includes my favourite colour purple. When visiting the MUA site online not only do you see the collection close up you also get a youtube video giving you a step by step guide on how to use this product on your nails. The product comes in a clear plastic bottle which has a clear 'Funnel' at the top. There is a small unscrewable lid which opens to a small hole, big enough to allow the beads to come through.

Using these couldn't be easier; you apply any colour nail varnish to your nails. The site tells you to use MUA colour but you can use any brand. Two coats is normally best, on application of the second coat, while still wet and preferably over a bowl or plate, open the lid and tip the beads through the funnel and onto the wet varnish. You can press them into the varnish and once your nail is covered, go over the beads with a top clear layer of nail varnish. I have to admit the whole procedure was very easy and the only real part I struggled with a little was using a top coat afterwards as it was a little bobbly and strange. The effect is amazing and the colours are literally out of this world. They stayed in place on my nails for at least four days before I noticed that a few beads had fallen off and they needed attention. Normal nail varnish remover works well at removing them and it really seems a shame to throw them away after use but at £3 per bottle, it's not such big deal.

On the site it also shows you some people that have used these beads as part of their make up, this looks good and although I do not know what sort of adhesive you would use for this, the effects available could be quite dramatic. Due to the 3D effect these beads give to your nail design, you do not have to cover the whole nail in beads, you can just do the tips for a different take on the manicure theme or do different patterns, which I have done and they do look amazing. I am so glad I have found this product, it is a great idea that is only limited in use by your imagination.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A fab little stocking filler for anyone who likes nail art

I first found out about MUA Nail Constellations when I saw a photo on Facebook of a friends nails after using these. I was really impressed and decided I definitely wanted to give them a go. I had never tried MUA products before but a quick google search told me that MUA is sold in Superdrug stores, as well as online on the Superdrug website and MUA's own website. When I took a trip into town, I found that both Superdrug branches were sold out of the constellations, so I imagine they are a fairly popular product. I was able to buy them online from the Superdrug website.

So what are Nail Constellations? Basically these are tiny little beads that are applied to the nails to create a 3D look. They come in 5 different 'space themed' shades:

They come in a little bottle similar to a normal nail polish bottle, with a thin nozzle at the end which allows you to sprinkle the beads onto your nails. To apply the beads, you simply paint your nails with a thick layer of normal nail polish and before it dries, sprinkle the nail constellations on. This is quite a messy task and the first time I did it I ended up with a few little beads on my bedroom floor, but I have since learnt to put a piece of paper under my hand when I am applying these.

As the nail polish dries the beads stay fixed into place. I give them a little press down to make sure they stick securely to my nails. The first time I used these I did not apply a top coat and found that after a day or two some of the beads started to fall off. After this I started to add a clear top coat on top of the beads and found that the nail constellations now stay in place for at least 4 days without needing reapplied.

To remove the nail constellations I simply treat them as a normal nail varnish. I soak a cotton wool pad in a good amount of nail varnish remover and give it a firm rub over my nail. The little beads come off fairly easily and stick to the cotton wool pad.

These nail constellations cost just £3 for each bottle, which in my opinion is really cheap for such an innovative and different product. When I bought them online from Superdrug they were on a 3 for 2 offer so this made mine just £2 each which was a real bargain. I am really glad I discovered this product and always get lots of compliments when my nails are done with MUA constellations! Thanks for reading/rating and I hope you found my review useful.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Cool Constellations from MUA.

These are little pots of beads that are inspired by the patterns formed by the stars in the night sky. They form a 3D design on the nails.

~ Nail Constellation ~

I was looking at the MUA stand in my local Superdrug when I saw these at the top. Wondering what on earth they were I took one down for a good look. These a little pots that are filled with shimmering teeny tiny beads, I knew they were a nail art product as they were on the stand with the other nail items but I wasn't quite sure if they would work so to speak, but of course you don't know until you try something so I bought some!

~ The Range ~

There are five shades available in the Constellation range, these are -

ScorpioPiscesLeoGeminiLibra

Each one consists of lots of teeny beads in a range of different colours. I have Scorpio and Gemini. I first chose Scorpio as this was the one that had the most obvious colour difference. The Pisces and Leo are more purple/lilac based, the Libra is more silver based and the Gemini is quite pink based. The Scorpio however is dark and consists of a dark magenta, a dark green and gold coloured beads. The Gemini has the same three colours but they are all pale.

I think they are really nice and will hopefully get the rest of the collection for Christmas!

~ Packaging ~

The packaging also acts as the applicator for these beads. You get a small glass bottle that holds 14g/15g of beads. I say 14g and 15g as my Scorpio states 14g and my Gemini states 15g!The glass bottle is see through allowing you to easily see the coloured beads inside. This is also good as you can see if you are running low.

The lid s a rubbery clear lid that fits over the top of the glass jar extremely well, it's a tight fit which means no beads can escape! The lid isn't just a lid but is also the applicator nozzle so the top of the lid is long, slim and tapered which means that directing the beads over the nails is very easy. There is a white sealed cap on top of the nozzle which simply requires a pull to get it off.

The packaging is really nice and would look fab set out of a dressing table!

There is a card tag around the bottle stating the brand and product - MUA Nail Constellation, and the tag opens up like a card and shows the usage instructions - Very handy!

~ Using Nail Constellations ~

Before you can use the Nail Constellations you will first need to pull the rubbery lid off and remove a protective soft plastic covering. You then need to pop the lid back on.

Paint your nails by giving them the first coat, let that dry and then add a second thicker coat. You can use any colour you want. Whilst the second coat is still wet you will need to aim the nozzle of the Nail Constellations over your nails and sprinkle out the beads.

I would recommend placing a bowl, tray or plate underneath to catch the falling bead so that they can be re-used.

Cover you nail as best as you can and then roll your finger gently in the fallen beads so that they stick to any bare areas. Then gently press the beads so that they stick firmly to the nails and leave to dry. You can then add a top coat to protect them and so that they last.

When you have finished your nails I would recommend placing the leftover beads onto a sheet of folded paper, turn the applicator nozzle around and aim it into the bottle as you would a funnel and pour the beads back into the jar for use next time. Don't waste them!

~ The Results ~

I am impressed with the results of these. I currently have my nails painted in MUA Magnetic Nails in Kings Road, on my ring finger I have added a sprinkle of this in Scorpio and the results look fab. It does feel bumpy and strange but the colours are all very vivid and amazing.

The beads have stayed put despite a marathon cleaning session yesterday and the taking down of a trampoline so they do have good staying power. I am not sure if the results would be a little different had I do every nail as I am sure a bead or two would have got caught whilst taking down the trampoline. However for use for a night out, Christmas parties, New Years Eve, Christmas day even I think the results would last just fine and they would really add a pretty sparkle to the hands.

~ Price & Availability ~

These are available from Superdrug stores or online at -

www.superdrug.comwww.muastores.co.uk

They are priced at a very decent £3.00.

~ Overall ~

I really like these. I think they are a really great bargain priced nail art system! I am impressed with the results and the colour choices available are all really nice.

I am hoping Santa brings me more for Christmas!

They are really easy to use, there's nothing too tricky about it as they easily stick to the wet nail varnish. I think the hardest thing about these is deciding which one to get!